Paper clip applicator



Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATI-:s PATENT oFFlcE PAPER CLIPAPPLICATOR Edward H. Vick, orlando, F1a.

Application June 13, 1951, Seria-1No. 231,311

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to mechanical devices for applying sheet materialholding devices such as staples and the like, and in particular amechanical device for spreading the sections of a wire paper clipwhereby with sheets of material inserted in holding clips at the end ofthe machine paper clips are spread and installed over the edges of thematerial as a lever is moved forwardly.

The purpose of this invention is to eliminate the necessity of spreadingpaper clips by hand when it is desired to place clips over the edges ofsheet material.

In the conventional method of spreading paper clip sections with thefinger nails, nails are often broken and sheet material is damaged whenattempts are made to hold the paper clip and material at the same time.With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a machine having amagazine or paper clip holding chute and a plunger in combination withcams and gripping elements whereby a paper clip is picked off of the endof a chute, spread, and applied to the edges of sheet material as alever or knob is manually actuated.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means formechanically spreading a paper clip whereby, with a single movement ofan operating rod or lever, the clip is spread and applied to the edgesof sheets of material.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for applying paperclips of a conventional design whereby it is not necessary to change thedesign or arrangement of the paper clip.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanical means forspreading and applying paper clips wherein a paper clip applicator of asimple and economical design is provided.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionembodies an elongated base having a paper clip holding chute extendedupwardly therefrom, a slider having a plunger thereon mounted in a slotin the base, and means for spreading and ejecting a paper clip as theslider is moved forwardly.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the paper clip applying machineshowing the slider and plunger in retracted positions.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1,with parts broken away and shown in section and in this view the partsare also in the position shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the machine taken on line 3 3of Figure 2 also showing the parts in the retracted positions as shownin Figure l.

Figure 4 is a section similar to that shown in Figure 3 showing only theforward end of the machine and illustrating a paper clip in the partlyopened or spread position.

Figure 5 is a similar View showing the paper clip moved forwardly to theopen position and in the position in which it is installed over edges ofsheets of material.

Figure 6 is a cross section taken on line 6 6 of Figure 3 illustrating arocker cam which forces the small inner section of a paper clipdownwardly in the spreading action.

Figure 7 is asimilar section on an enlarged scale showing the innersection of the clip moved downwardly by the rocker cam.

Figure 8 is a sectional plan taken on line 8 8 of Figure 4 showing asection through the paper clip slot of the machine and illustrating apaper clip sliding over a spreading cam in the outlet end of the slot.

Figure 9 is a detail showing a cross section through the outer end ofthe slot being taken on line 3 9 of Figure l.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts the improved paper clip applying machine of thisinvention includes a base I0, a bed I I, a mounting bar I2, a plunger I3carried by a slider I4, a paper clip holding chute formed with endmembers I5 and I6, a rocker cam I1, a spreader cam I8 and a knob I9 bywhich the machine is manually actuated.

The base I0, which is provided with a table 20 having a beveled uppersurface 2I and a recess 22 therein is provided with an elongated slot 23in which the bed I I is secured by screws 24 and 25. The table sectionof the base is provided with spring fingers 2l and 28 that are securedto the vertical section 29 by screws 30 and the ngers are positionedwith the forward end extended over the upper surface of the table andinclined upwardly. The outer ends of the spring fingers are providedwith arcuate sections 3| and 32 which extend upwardly.

The bed II is provided with an elongated slot 33 in which the slider I4is mounted and an arm 34 extended from one side of the slider ex*- tendsthrough a slot 35 in the bed I I. The outer end of the arm extendsupwardly and the knob I9 is positioned on the upper end thereof.

The cam I8 which is wedge-shaped in vertical section and triangularshaped in plan extends inwardly from one side of the bed I I into theslot 33, as shown in Figure 9 and a slot 36 is provided between the edgeof the cam and the opposite wall of the bed to provide passage for sidewire connecting the large and small sections of the paper clip.

The plunger I3 is mounted on the upper surface of the slider I4 byscrews 31' and 38 `and as the plunger is moved forwardly by the knob I9through the slider I4 -a paper clip, as indicated by the numeral 39 ispicked from the end of 'a stack of clips in the chute and movedforwardly over the cam I8 which, in combination with the rocker cam I'Ispreads the clip, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. i

The rocker cam I'I is pivotally mounted by a pin 48 which extendsoutwardly from the side of the bed II, in the form of a staple, as shownin Figure 2 and the outer end of the arm 4 I, through which the pin 48extends is` urged downwardly by a spring 42 carried by a plate 43 on thebar I2 and', as shown in Figure 6 the Iarm 4I rests upon the end of alever 44v thatl is -pivotally mounted by a pin 45 in a bearing 46 'andthat is provided with aroller 4'! that is journaled by `a pin 48 in ayoke IISl on the end of the lever. The base I is provided with a recessU that i`s positioned to receive the roller 4'I-when the' roller ismoved downwardly by a' plate 5I extended outwardly through a slot 52 andcarried by the plunger I3. Forward movement of the plunger by the knobI8 brings the plate 5I into engagement with the roller 41 whereby theroller is moved Adownward with the opposite end of the lever 44 movingupwardly carrying the extended end of the arm 4I upwardly and the rockercam I'I on the opposite end of the arm downwardly whereby the smallinner section of the paper clip is moved downwardly Ias shown in Figure7.

In the ejeoting action of the paper clip the clip slides through athroat 53 between the bar I2 and bed II and with continued movement ofthe clip the sides of the large section of the paper clip slide onshoulders 54 and 55 of the bed II with the smaller inner section forceddownwardly by the rocker cam I1 to-an inclined slot 5S that ispositioned below the cam I8.

As the' forward or ejecting `action of the paper clip is continued theinner small section of the clip passes into the recess 22 in the uppersurface of the table on the end of the base with the larger sectionextended upwardly by the spreading cam I8 whereby the s'f `:`ti` ns areretained in the positions shown in Figure 5 and sheets Aof paper orother material extended below the clips 21 and 28 will be positionedbetween two l'sections of the paper clip whereby as the cli-p is 4finally ejected from the end of the bed of the machine the two sectionssnap together over edges of the sheets of material.

Upon completion of this action the plunger, slider and knob areretracted by a spring 51, one end of which is connected to the arm 34,and the other to a bearing 58 extended from one side of the bed II. Theopposite side of the bed I I may also be provided with a slot 59,similar to the slot 35 so that the knob I8 may :be placed on either sideof the machine.

The bar I2 may be secured in the slot in the bed II by screws 60 and thesections I5 and I6 of the paper clip holding chute may be secured in thebar I2 by Welding or other suitable means. In the design illustrated,the lower ends of the members I5 and I5 extend into ran elongated slot6I and a weight 52 is positioned on paper clips in the chute to providea follower.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

In a paper clip applicator, the combination which comprises an elongatedhorizontally dis*- po'sed base having a longitudinally disposed slottherein, a bed having slots therein positioned. in the slot in the base,a bar having a paper clip receiving opening therethrough mounted in thebed, a vertical upwardly disposed paper clip supply chute extended fromthe opening in the bar, a horizontally disposed plunger slidably mountedin the bed, a knob extended from one 'side of' the bed for manuallyactuating the plunger, said plunger being positioned to remove a paperclip from the chute, a throat in the bed below the bar, said throathaving oppositely disposed shoulders which support the outer portion ofa clip as it is moved forward by the plunger, an inclined slot betweenthe said shoulders, a rocker cam pivotally mounted on said base andoverhanging the inclined slot, means actuating the rocker cam by theplunger so that the cam will move the inner portion of the clipdownwardly into the inclined slot, and a spreader cam positioned in thebed for spreading sections of the paper clip when the paper clip isejected by the plunger. EDWARD H. VICK.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,077,154 Mullany et al Oct. 28, 1913 1,205,219 Kennedy Nov.21, 1916 2,156,743 Sklebba Nlay 2, 1939 2,158,168 WOOdIllff May 16, 1939

